McCarthy hopes shakeup will give Packers best opportunity to win in 2018

by John Doran, FOX 11 Sports

Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy at Packers practice (WLUK)

Just days after the Packers wrapped up its first losing season in nine years, Mike McCarthy was thrust into the toughest offseason of his head coaching career.

As of Monday, McCarthy and the Packers parted ways with 6 members of the coaching staff including defensive coordinator Dom Capers. He also said Edgar Bennett will not return as offensive coordinator, but could return to the team in another capacity.

In McCarthy's twelve years as head coach, the Packers coaching staff hasn't had as much turnover at one time as the week following the week 17 loss to the Lions.

“The part that no one wants to talk about is the personal aspect of it," said McCarthy. "That’s what keeps me up at night is the personal changes that you make and I’ll never, ever be comfortable with that."

The Packers head coach, who got a one year contract extension this season, said as tough as theses decisions are to make, he needs to do what's best for the team.

"Are we doing enough to win a world championship? Or are we doing everything we need to do to win the championship? That question needs to be answered. It needs to be answered through football operations," he said. "This is my professional responsibility, it's in my job description and I have to do what I feel gives the Green Bay Packers the best opportunity to win, to win it all in 2018."

The Packers are in the midst of a search for a new general manager and Mike McCarthy said he will be involved in that hiring process. Thursday he reflected on his relationship with Ted Thompson and even recalled what Thompson said was most important in the head coach, general manager relationship from his first on the job.

"It has to be a partnership. I go back to Ted's opening press conference when I was fortunate enough, when he hired me and he talked about partnership and those words have always rung true," said McCarthy. "We had a hell of a partnership for 12 years."